Ataash Varin Kata: The Second Coming
by Eveamlizya
Summary: Sequel to "Ataash Varin Kata." Another premonition plagues Sicilia while in Par Vollen. Her new rank requires her, along with the Arishok, to go after those who threaten the life of the Qun. The Tome of Koslun was transposed, translated, and transferred into the hands of the Tevinter Imperium. What secrets did it hold? (ON HOLD)
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hello, everyone! I'm so glad that I'm able to finally get this sequel written. I'm hoping that it will be as successful as the first. There isn't any action in this first chapter, but I can promise you that there will be action very very soon. I usually try to write a few chapters first before I begin posting, but it'd probably be next month before I got that far so I'm going ahead and posting. This will also be rated M like the first, but there will be a lot more since Arishok and Sicilia are officially together now. I also want to note that conversation between Sicilia and other Qunari will typically be in Qunlat, though I cannot write it, since there isn't a full translation out there yet so…just use your imagination. **

**This first chapter is a little shorter than my usual, but I wanted it to end at that point. I tried filling it out with more observation and description, but it still didn't get long enough. Now. On to the story!**

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It had been nearly a year since she had set foot in Par Vollen. As Viddathari, she'd spent the majority of her time learning the ways of her new people. Sicilia had soon become accustomed to the Qunari way of life. She didn't expect to be welcomed at first, which she wasn't, but once Arishok had announced that the viddithari was his mate, it didn't take long for them to warm to her. It wasn't until the day before, once the Tamassrans had time to judge her test, that she gained respect from all.

Of course, the fact that she had a big part in obtaining their sacred tome and getting it home safely, had helped gain her some manner of respect. However, she still had to prove herself among her people. Ten months had been spent studying the language, culture, and the processes of life. She had taken part in many jobs throughout the village and it was clear that Sicilia could do well at any task given her, but she truly excelled at fighting, language, and herbal remedy.

Sicilia stood at the docks, searching the horizon for that familiar ship. The wind was harsh and it carried with it the warmth from the south. The sea was beautiful, a deep sapphire blue. The Arishok hadn't been biased when he had told her how Par Vollen was better in every way. The air truly was clearer, cooler, and the waters were blue, as water should be; they weren't the murky green that she had been used to. The sun warmed her face as it shown down from the highest point in the sky.

She wasn't alone. Many female Qunari stood with her, including her neighbor whose mate had left before she bore their twin boys. She held them both in her arms, tiny horns protruded from their heads that rested on their mother's shoulders.

She could tell that every female was happy to see their men home. Their eyes lit up when the ship just came into view. Sicilia had been longing impatiently to see those red sails again since the day they had left. She hadn't spent much time with the Arishok before he'd been sent to sea again, a total of a month and a half to be exact.

Sicilia wasn't sure how he or she would react to seeing each other after such a long time. A part of her wanted to run to him at first sight, but she wasn't sure if that would be an appropriate thing to do.

The Arishok stood at the helm, eyes fixed on the shores of Par Vollen. He hadn't wanted to leave his mate alone so soon, especially her being so unfamiliar with their ways and their people. He found himself worrying from time to time about how she was fairing, but knew that there was no need to worry about her. He couldn't have chosen a stronger, more courageous female as his mate.

_Will she have changed at all? _Eight months was a long time; much could've happened since he'd left. He now knew what his men felt every time they left their mates. He'd often put loneliness off as a human emotion, but he realized that what he felt was very similar. Without someone to spar so intimately with, be intimate with, and completely forget about the world with, a part of him felt empty, but he filled that space, for the time, with his duties to the Qun.

The shores grew closer and he began scanning the crowd. One would think she would be easily found.

_Andraste's ass, Sis, get a hold of yourself. _Sicilia had felt a tinge of emotion lying behind her eyes as the ship began to dock. She held it back. As the men filed off the ship, she noticed the look of pride on the Ashaad's face when he saw his twin boys. She smiled. He should be proud; those boys were already so strong for being so young.

She turned her focus back on the men, waiting for her own. Noticing that the mates would barely even embrace in public, she decided that it probably wasn't best for her to do anything more. The females weren't even walking to their men, but were simply waiting for them. Sicilia couldn't help herself when she saw the familiar brute coming into sight.

She took a moment to relish in the sight of him. He was just as she remembered him: the same white-silver hair, the same red paint across his muscular chest, the same black eyes, and the same horns. She shoved away the thoughts that nearly caused her to blush. _There will be time for that later._

Walking to meet him half-way, she tucked some hair behind her ear as it had begun to blow into her face. She had worn her hair up for two purposes. One, the wind that day had been overly bothersome; if she had left it down, she'd likely have it tangled past the point of fixing. Two, she wanted to show off the new golden cuffs on either ear, which were still a little sore, showing her newly acquired rank. Sicilia felt pride in her accomplishment; she had never thought that she, a human convert, would be given such an honorable place among the Qun.

"Shanedan, Arishok," she said softly.

"Shanedan," he replied respectfully. She hadn't changed much at all. He noticed that her hair was slightly longer and she seemed to stand with more confidence than when he had left. She smiled and he immediately wanted to kiss her, to feel that burning touch once again.

The new jewelry hadn't gone unnoticed to him. The Arishok also saw that the area surrounding them was still tinted red, which could only mean that her rank had recently been decided. She mustn't have had time to dress accordingly. They probably had to create her uniform specifically for her height and shape. Currently, she wore a light grey tunic worn by many Qunari females, though it was a little large for her, and a pair of leather pants. Her daggers were not strapped to her back, which meant that she wasn't required to be armed at all times, which ruled out a warrior of any kind.

He hadn't expected her to be named a warrior. Females could not be soldiers for the Qun; although there were female fighters within the Priesthood, they were not commanded by him, but rather, the Ariqun. The gold on her ears, judging by the width of the cuff, showed him that, whatever her rank was, it was quite high. A sense of pride filled him knowing that his human mate, only ten months converted, had acquired such an honor.

"You have done well in my absence." It was both a question and a statement in one. The Arishok wanted to praise her rank, but also wanted to assure himself of her well-being.

Sicilia was about to answer when she was called by a young priest approaching from behind. "Ashkaari."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Sorry it took me a while to get this one out…it's been a stressful holiday. I had a grandparent pass on the 29****th****; he was sick for about a week before that. I also don't know how well this chapter will be written due to the fact that I have another idea running through my head (it's constant, I swear it never goes away) that I may take some time to get on "paper." It isn't a fanfiction, but I may treat it like one to get it out quickly. Anyways, I hope you enjoy this one…not much happening, but just the same.**

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_Ashkaari,_ he recited to himself. The sense of pride that had risen within him only grew. He'd hardly heard what it was that was said between the two, but, when the priest turned away to leave, his focus returned to his mate. "Ashkaari," he said under his breath; she smiled.

"Duty calls," she sighed. "I'll see you at home later." Sicilia smiled softly started to walk away. She walked quickly to refrain from touching him; she wasn't sure if she could hold herself back much longer and was almost thankful that she'd been called back to her duties. This way, she wouldn't see the Arishok until that evening…alone.

Sicilia made her way from the crowds and started towards the Hall, the main building in the center of Qunandar, the capital of Par Vollen. The Hall was were the priests lived, where the Triumvirate met, and where her duties were based for the time being. Ultimately, Ashkaari were to go wherever they deemed needed their focus. As of right now, she decided to focus on familiarizing herself with the work of the other Ashkaari before her.

Currently, however, her only reason to go to the Hall was to get her uniform, but she had made a mental note that morning of the scrolls that she still needed to take a look at. She wondered what the Arishok was doing. Sicilia imagined that he'd be organizing a meeting with the Triumvirate to go over his mission. She wasn't allowed to know what his missions were about, but she did know that he had sailed to Seheron.

When Sicilia reached the doors of the Hall, she fingered the wooden intricacies of the frame before pushing them open. The first view was of the main meeting space, a large room with many tables. This area was used as a common meeting space for the people; during storms or celebrations, the people would gather here for meals. On either side, there was a hallway leading to other areas. There was also a connecting room to the back, which was where the Arishok was likely to go later to meet with the Ariqun and the Arigena.

She headed towards the left side of the room, turning down the hallway, which opened up to another large room, which was filled with shelves upon shelves of books and scrolls, filed to perfection. Sicilia walked to the back where she saw the Ariqun at the catalog, talking to a Tamassran.

"Shanedan," she said, catching their attention. The Tamassran held a neatly folded mass of armor, leather, and red fabric. She motioned for Sicilia to follow her to the back, through a door, which led to the priest's private quarters. There was a small room at the right, which served as a changing area. Sicilia began to undress as the Tamassran laid out her uniform piece by piece.

There were six main pieces and four accessories, which she had asked for personally. Sicilia slid on the thick leather pants and laced up the front. She bent down into a squat to test her range of movement. She had to admit, Qunari were geniuses. The leather was laced together, with a stretchy sort of elastic, in pieces, which would serve to give the pants give in order to be able to fight efficiently.

Most Ashkaari didn't require these pants and wore only the leather that was worn by most of the people, but Sicilia was a skilled fighter and that asset would not be wasted. The Tamassran helped her with the top, letting her put her arms through and turning in order to tie the back. The top was a mere piece of grey fabric that had only one purpose, to cover her breasts and keep them in place.

Sicilia felt a little exposed with her entire midriff showing, but knew she would get used to it in time. A small leather pouch was tied into place around her hips; this was to hold her pen, the item that was given to her, symbolizing her position. The next pieces to be added were the armor: spaulders, very similar to the Arishok's, obviously smaller and the darker color rather than the red, and armor that was to fit over her hips, which came to a V just below her bellybutton and had thick leather hanging down to mid-calf length. Both of these were laced into place.

Next, the red fabric was wrapped over the hip armor and tied loosely in front, but reinforced with a metal pin with a red tassel dangling from it. The Tamassran helped her slide on her boots and laced them as well. Sicilia used the piece of red ribbon to tie her hair up while the leather straps were adjusted to her back to hold her weapons. Sicilia glanced into a mirror that stood in the corner; she almost wished to be painted with red, but only warriors were painted.

She nodded to the Tamassran in thanks. The woman had already gathered her old clothes when Sicilia turned to leave the room. She found that, once she was dressed, she carried a confidence she hadn't had before. Her back was straight, shoulders were back, and her head was held high when she walked back to the library.

The Ariqun was still at the catalog and she took the chance to ask him about the scrolls she needed. Once she had found them, she headed out. She knew that the Arishok wasn't likely to be home yet, but she headed there still, hoping to get some work done before dinner.

Sicilia took the long way home, taking in the scenery around her. Par Vollen was an island with the capital of Qunandar directly along the coast. The air was a crisp cool, fresh, and slightly salty from the sea. The dirt held a mixture of sand to make the streets, which crunched beneath her boots.

The other Qunari nodded with respect as she passed. Her home that she shared with the Arishok was just at the end of the street. It held the best view of the docks. She walked through the door and laid the scrolls on her desk at the corner of the room. Unlacing her armor, she set everything down, leaving herself in only her pants and top. Taking out her pen, she sat down and pulled out her journals.

Sicilia didn't know how long she had been working, but the light had started to dim through the windows and the words had begun to blur together. She rubbed her eyes and lit the lamp on her desk. Just as she was about to get up and head out to get dinner, her mate walked through the door.

His form seemed to impose upon the room, though the house itself was made for him. He quickly unlaced his armor and let it join hers. His eyes were clouded by a hunger, one that told her that she wouldn't be getting dinner tonight.

Crossing the room, he lowered his head to kiss her and she met him by leaning upwards on her toes, winding her arms around his neck. He grasped her waist and lifted her up. Sicilia wrapped her legs about his middle as he carried her through the small hall to their bed. She gasped at his nipped at her bottom lip, commanding entrance. The Arishok laid her upon the bed, careful to not break their contact.

Sicilia broke it, nevertheless, and breathed heavily, trying to calm her beating heart. She looked at the man above her, his gaze devouring her. That alone was enough to bring an animalistic groan from her throat. "Oh, I have missed you," she said before slamming her mouth once more onto his.


End file.
